Villa Group Chairman Qasim Ibrahim has said that the then Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb had threatened him and Villa Group, after former Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim was given a position in Villa Group.
He made the statement in connection to the statements given by Niyaz to Raajje TV. In his statements to the local channel, Niyaz said that he was not influenced by Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) to resign from his position in Villa Group.
Qasim said that Niyaz was instrumental in uncovering the many cases of corruption that had occurred in the country of late.
He added that when Niyaz was given a position in the Villa Group, Adeeb had personally called Qasim and expressed his dissatisfaction with the appointment. Qasim said that Adeeb had threatened
Qasim, saying that consequences will be dire and that he was investigating the Villa Group. Qasim noted that the agreements made between the Government and Villa Group was nullified after this.
Qasim further said that additional constraints were placed on Villa Group by the then Tourism Minister Adeeb, solely because Villa Group employed Niyaz.
Adeeb, during his tenure as the Deputy Leader of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives, had used the rallies of the Party to issue threats against Villa Group.
Adeeb threatened when Niyaz was given a job in Villa: Qasim
